Latest Daredevil: Born Again Viewing Figures Show Dramatic Drop From Season 1
· IGN
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 viewing figures reveal that the series has lost around half its audience for its sophomore run — a statistic that now has fans concerned both for the future of the show, and Marvel's plans for its many street level characters.
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The lower figures come despite positive reviews for Born Again's second year. Critics and audiences widely agree that this latest batch of episodes are a huge improvement on the series' choppy first run, and also some of the best Marvel Television has made in a very long time.
And yet, total views and total hours watched are down significantly on that choppy first season, whose issues have been well documented. Data from Luminate, published by ComicBook, show Season 2's first five episodes have racked up 4.5 million views, down 46% on the 8.3 million views recorded at the same point in Season 1.
The total number of hours watched are also notably down, with 10.8 million hours watched so far for Season 2, versus an equivalent 24 million hours watched last year — down by 54%.
These statistics are now troubling fans of the show, even if its immediate future is safe. Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 is currently filming in New York (and providing plenty of spoilers for what's to come), meaning the series will definitively return next year.
But, of course, fans want more — especially as the series is being used to grow the MCU's street level focus: spawning a spinoff special for The Punisher ahead of his Spider-Man: Brand New Day movie appearance, a return for Jessica Jones, plus more Netflix-era Marvel characters glimpsed on the Season 3 set. Whispers abound of a full Jessica Jones spinoff of some kind, while fans have a wishlist of other street level characters they'd like to see.
How much will Born Again's Season 2 viewing figures impact the future of all that? This remains to be seen. Certainly, there are good reasons why some of that drop-off could be explained. Season 1 did not leave a particularly strong impression due to its mid-filming story reboot and scramble to salvage production. Last year's episodes will have also benefited from casual viewers curious to see the character of Daredevil properly return after years of guest appearances.
Fans have suggested that Marvel's decision to make Daredevil's Netflix series canon may have also impacted recent viewership figures. While the move has undoubtedly led to a better show for fans who have followed the character over the past decade, it effectively turns Born Again Season 2 into a fifth season (or sixth, if you count The Defenders) — meaning there's suddenly a lot of catchup needed for anyone who wants to start fresh.
With Daredevil: Born Again's third season secured, and something of a fresh story arc planned, viewers have at least another year of Matt Murdock to look forward to. Beyond that, fans hope Marvel continues to support one of its best series — especially as it keeps getting better and better.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social